This is what authenticity looks and feels like

This is what authenticity looks and feels like This is what authenticity looks and feels like Every one of us has a story. What’s yours? Better yet?- ?do you  really  know how to share it and tell it in such a way that liberates you, while simultaneously resonating with the community around you? That’s where the good are at. That’s when you know you’re comfortable enough in your own skin to take a big step forward and embrace your true self.I’m not here to teach marketing or personal branding 101. I’m here to ask you to think deeper on who you really are. To think more about your “story” and why it matters. To ask you to dive into it and begin incorporating it into your conversations, business relationships?- ?and that constant inner dialogue you have.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!With yourself.You have a story. It’s real. Whether you think it’s unique or just plain boring, it doesn’t matter. Your story is what will connect you to other peopl e and make a huge difference in building your character, as well as boosting your self-confidence. It provides you the ability to be yourself in this world.You’ll find as you continue moving in the direction of a life of fulfillment, this is really all that matters.You see, the business relationships you carve out will be derived from your authenticity?- ?the qualities that make you,  you.The family?- ?your birth family and those people in your life that, let’s face it, are  family, will be attracted to you for your true self. Not some cheap imitation or knock-off of who you think you need to be. They probably already know their story. But they want you to live it, to embrace it and to tell it for what it is.The person that you choose to invite into your life?- ?for love, romance, forever?- ?will not be worth your time if they’re chasing you for perceived material value. Rather, they’ll be worth a lifetime of commitment if they’re willing to put you before themselves. And if that you that they choose to put before themselves is your true self. The one that lives with joy, fire, zeal and imagination.As St. Catherine of Siena once said, “Be who you are meant to be- and you will set the world on  fire.” When I hear people talk about “Being Yourself” I come back to this main point: In order to you know your true self, you need to know your story. I acknowledge, we’re always writing the story of our life. So focus on the present.But know that it really helps to know your past, in so many ways. Start with where you’ve been. Focus every day on the grind for the present. And let that light the way to your future.Here are some things to think about for your story: Know what lights the fire inside of you (what you love and inspires passion) Know what you don’t like (which is just as important!) Understand what has failed and WHY Recognize what has worked, and WHY Embrace what comes naturally to you Analyze what you struggle with All of these points you toward what your emotions tell you in each situation. Your emotions guide you, and help you to make sense of your life.Once you begin to better understand your emotions, you will gain a greater acceptance of your self. You’ll find yourself listening with greater intent to your intuition- that powerful, eternal voice inside of you that always seems to know what’s right for you.Your intuition is always willing to guide you and be your life’s compass, leading you to grander and bolder frontiers of limitless possibility. Your intuition is letting you know who you really are.The truth is, in life, we usually know the answers.We know what we need to do. We just have to do it.We know who we really are. We have to follow what our intuition and heart are saying.So, who are you?I think you already know. Embrace yourself. You should know what this feels like by now. It’s indescribable. It’s otherworldly. You just need to live it. And from those experiences, you can your story to the world.We’re waiting to hear all about it.Join my newsletter for emotional intelligence and productivity content! Get a FREE Coaching Call to Explore Your Emotional Intelligence, and Learn how to Achieve Your Biggest Goals! Check out my Amazon bestseller, The Value of You, which has helped tens of thousands of people develop the game plan for living their best life!This article first appeared on Medium.      You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people